The voice, the quiet assurance, the soft smile turned aside wrath.

“He is just a bullying beast,” Mrs Robinov declared. “We got along with Sergeant Crome all right, and Superintendent Pavier was always the gentleman. We didn’t kill Mr. Goldspink. Everyone here loved him.”

“That’s what Sergeant Crome told me,” Bony said soothingly, although Crome had said nothing of the kind. “Don’t be afraid of me. I am sure we’ll get along splendidly if you will give me the chance. You will?”

The hostility faded.

“Very well, Inspector. What do you want to ask me?”

“I don’t want to ask you any questions today,” he said. “But I do want to interview the assistant who was serving the customer when Mr Goldspink was taken ill. Mary Isaacs is the girl, I think.”

“May I be present?”

“If you wish, and will refrain from interrupting.”

“I don’t know. I think I should be. Inspector Stillman almost drove the girl crazy. I’ll fetch her.”

Bony thanked Mrs Robinov and, when she had departed, he regarded himself in one of the long mirrors. He sauntered to the wall farthest from the entrance to the shop, and when Mrs Robinov entered with Mary Isaacs, he advanced to greet them.

“Come along and sit down, and let’s all be easy,” he purred. “I’m happy to meet you, Miss Isaacs, and I am quite sure you are going to be happy to meet me.”

He manoeuvred them to sit facing the window light, with himself partially before it. He knew the girl’s age to be eighteen. She was pretty and gave promise of becoming beautiful. Now her dark eyes were dilated with fear, and her lips were trembling, and he thought what a sublime fool Stillman was to think he could succeed with these women by the employment of methods he used on slum thugs and back-alley gunmen.

He spoke quietly, reassuringly, telling them he came from Brisbane, mentioning his wife, and proudly naming his boys and their achievements. He went on to stress the vital importance of ‘catching’ the person who killed Sam Goldspink and emphasised how silly it was for anyone to think they had had anything to do with murder. Gradually the fear subsided in the girl’s eyes and the trembling of the lips ceased.